Flask filling apparatus



Sept. 7, 1937. W PlPER 2,092,330

FLASK FILLI NG APPARATUS Original Filed Jan.- 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept, 7,, 1%? w. F. PIPER FLASK FILLING APPARATUS 2&9233

Original Filed Jan. 25, 1936 2 Sheets-SheetZ Patented Sept. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES FLASK FILLING APPARATUS Walter F. Piper, Oak Park,

Beardsley & Piper Company, corporation of Illinois Application January 25, 1936, Serial No. 60,806 Renewed February 25, 193'? 16 Claims.

The present invention relates generally toapparatus for filling flasks with moulding sand. More particularly the invention relates to that type of apparatus which is designed for use in a foundry or like establishment and comprises (1) a rotary projector for slinging or projecting wads of sand downwardly into a subjacent flask; (2) an electric motor at one side of the projector for driving the rotor of the latter; and (3) a universal joint between the motor and an overhead support for supporting the assembly of projector and motor in such manner that the projector may be moved universally to a limited extent in order to cause it to fill all portions of the flask.

One object of the invention is to provide a flask filling apparatus of this type which includes power means for automatically moving the projector round and round over the flask for flask filling purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flask filling apparatus of the last mentioned character in which the power means is designed so that during operation thereof the projector is caused to move round and round in a substantially elliptical course or path over the flask.

A further object of the invention is to provide in connection with a flask filling apparatus of the type and character under consideration simple means for regulating or adjusting the size or character of the substantially elliptical course or path through which the projector moves or travels during operation of the power means.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a flask filling apparatus which is generally of new and improved construction, may be produced at a low cost and has a different capability of use and operates in a different manner than the flask filling apparatus which forms the subject matter of an application for United States Letters Patent filed by Walter E. Naylor of even date herewith and bearing Serial Number 60,805.

Other objects of the invention and the various r advantages and characteristics of the present flask filling apparatus will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification or disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Ill., assignor to The Chicago, Ill., a

Figure l is a plan view of a flask filling apparatus embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the internal construction and the arrangement of the parts of the rotary projector; 5

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus; and

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 3 and showing in detail the construction and arrangement of the control 10 arm which constitutes the course or path determining part of the power means for moving the projector round and round.

The apparatus which forms the subject matter of the invention is designed for use in a foundry 15 r or like establishment. It operates, as hereinafter described, to fill a subjacent flask f with properly treated or prepared sand or like mouldforming material and consists of a rotary projector 5, an electric motor 6 for driving the projector and power means I for automatically moving the projector round and round over the flask so as to cause it to fill all portions of the flask f. The projector 5 is of the rotary variety and corresponds in design and operation to that 25 which forms the subject matter of anapplication for United States Letters Patent filed by me October 18, 1934, Serial Number 748,795. It operates to form wads of the moulding sand or material and to sling the wads downwards in rapid succession into the flask f, and comprises a casing 8, a hopper 9 for delivering sand into the casing, and a rotor H1. The casing 8 is substantially cylindrical and embodies an annular wall II and a pair of circular or disk-like walls l2 and I3. The annular wall H is positioned so that the 'axis thereof extends horizontallly and has a downwardly extending, tangentially arranged. discharge member 14. The latter constitutes an outlet for the casing of the projector and is connected by bolts IE to the upper end of a vertically extending wad directing tube 16. The circular wall i2 is formed integrally with, and serves as a closure for, one end of the annular wall II. The other circular wall, that is the wall I3, is formed 45 separately from, and is removably secured to, the annular wall of the casing so as to permit of access to the interior of the casing. The hopper 9 is adapted to receive moulding sand in stream form from an overhead sand conveyor (not shown) and serves to deliver or supply the sand into the casing 8 of the projector via an inlet opening [1 in the central portion of the wall 13. i The rotor H! of the projector is disposed in the central portion of the casing 8 and is provided with a hub I8 and a blade I9. The hub of the rotor is mounted on and keyed to one end of the armature shaft 29 of the electric motor 6 so that the rotor is driven directly from the motor when the latter is supplied with current. The blade 59 is connected to and extends outwardly from the rotor and is adapted to rotate or swing around the inner periphery of the annular wall I I of the projector casing. During operation or drive of the electric motor the blade operates to form the sand within the casing into wads and to sling or project these wads downwards through the discharge member I 4 and the tube I6 into the flask f. The blade is preferably rotated between 1200 and 1800 revolutions per minute. The sand which enters the casing from the hopper 9 falls into the lower portion of the casing. During operation of the electric motor the blade I9 picks up the sand in the lower portion of the casing and swings it around an arcuate line 2! until the discharge member I4 is reached. During travel around the liner, the sand as the result of the action of centrifugal force and the shape of the blade, is formed or packed into a wad of closely or densely packed sand which when the blade reaches the member I i is projected through the latter and thence down the tube I6 to the flask f. The liner 2I fits against the inner periphery of the annular wall II of the projector casing and extends from the low side of the discharge member around the wall I I to the high side of the discharge memher. The electric motor 6 is located adjacent to the circular wall I2 of the projector casing 8. It is coaxially positioned with respect to the projector casing and is fixedly secured in any suitable manner to said circular wall I2.

The assembly of projector and electric motor is suspended from a pair of horizontally extending, laterally spaced, channel beams 22 by means of a cross-beam 23 and a universal joint 24. The cross-beam 23, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, ex tends under the beams 22 and is welded or otherwise secured to the bottom flanges of the latter. The universal joint 24 consists of a pair of complementary U-shaped members 25 and 25 and permits the projector to swing universally to a limited extent. The U-shaped member 25 is disposed in an inverted position and the cross-piece thereof is welded or otherwise secured to the bottom face of the central portion of the web of the crossbeam 23. The end pieces of the U-shaped member 25 project downwardly and have axially aligned bearings 25 in which a bolt 21 is journaled. The U-shaped member 26 of theuniversal joint is fixed to a plate 28 on the top portion of the casing of the electric motor 6. The side pieces of the member 26 project upwardly from the plate and carry a pin 29 which is journaled in a bearing (not shown) on a sleeve (also not shown) on the bolt 27. The universal joint 24 is preferably arranged so that the assembly of projector and motor is balanced and will normally assume a substantially horizontal position.

The power means I for automatically moving the projector round and round over the flask f so as to cause it to fill all portions of the flask is carried or supported by the channel beams 22 and consists of an electric motor 30, a pinion 3|, a gear 32, a speed reducing unit 33, a rotary disk 35, a Wrist pin 35, a link 26, an upright 37, and a control arm 38. The electric motor 30 is suitably secured to a platform 39 on the channel beams 22 and has an armature shaft 40, one end of which projects from the motor casing. The pinion 3| is keyed or otherwise fixedly secured to the projecting end of the armature shaft and meshes with and serves to drive the gear 32. The latter is located at one side of the electric motor 30 and is fixed to one end of a horizontally extending shaft M. The speed reducing unit 33 is mounted on the platform 39 and comprises a worm 42 and a worm wheel 43. In addition to the worm and worm wheel the speed reducing unit 33 comprises a housing 44. The shaft AI is journaled in suitable bearings in one portion of the housing 44 and supports or carries the worm. Q2. The latter is fixed to the shaft 4| for drive thereby and meshes and serves to drive the worm wheel 43. Said worm wheel is disposed in the housing 44 and is fixed to the shaft ll for drive thereby and meshes and serves to drive the worm wheel 43. Said worm wheel is disposed in the housing 44 and is fixed to and operates to drive a vertically extending shaft 45. The latter, as shown in the drawings, is journaled in a bearing 46 on the top wall of the housing 54 and its upper end projects above the hearing. The disk is fixed to the upper end of the shaft and carries the wrist pin 35 near the margin thereof. The link 36 extends horizontally and is connected at one end thereof to the wrist pin 35 by means of a. connecting block 41. The latter is fixed to the link by means of a pair of U-bolts 48 and has a central hole 49 through which the upper end of the wrist pin 35 extends. The hole, as shown in Figure 1, is slight- 5 ly larger in diameter than the wrist the link 38 is free to swing vertically to a limited extent with the wrist pin as a pivot point. The block 5'! rests on a. shoulder on the central portion of the wrist pin. The end of the link that is remote from the block 57 is connected by a universal joint 56 to the upper end of the upright 37 and the lower end of said upright, as shown in Figure 3, fits and is rigidly secured in a socket 552 on the plate 23. The central portion of the upright 37 is bent or angled so that the axis of the upper end of the upright as projected intersects the universal joint 24. The control arm 38 is located at one side of and extends transversely with respect to the link 36. It is inclined upwardly at a comparatively small acute angle, as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, and embodies an inclined socket 53 at its lower end. The socket 53 is mounted on a pivot pin 54 on one end of an I-beam 55 and permits arm 38 to oscillate about the pin in response to back and forth movement of the link 36. The I-beam 55 extends transversely across and is secured to the top flanges of the channel beams pin so that 22 and the pivot pin 5:3 is preferably Welded to it.

The upper end of the control by a ball and socket joint 58 to the central portion of the link 35. The socket portion of this joint is fixed to the upper end of the control arm 33 and the ball portion of the joint is provided with a stem 57 which permits the link 36 to swing upwards and downwards relatively to the control arm 38 and embodies a cross-piece 58. The latter fits against the link 36 and carries a pair of U- bolts 59 which encircle the link and constitute releasable clamping means'whereby the ball and socket joint 55 may be attached or connected to the link 36 at any point along the central portion thereof. When current is supplied to the electric motor 30 the motor through the medium of the pinion 3i and the gear 32 operates to drive the speed reducing unit 33 and the latter in turn eflects rotation of the disk 34. During rotation or drive of the disk the wrist pin 35 operates to move the link 36 back and forth and the control arm arm 38 is connected the control (ill ;the medium of the socket 52 and the plate 28 and the assembly of projector and motor is suspended from above by the universal joint 24 the projector is caused during operation of the motor 30 to travel round and round in a path or course which conforms to the path or course of travel of the upper end of the upright 31. The motor 30 together with the speed reducing unit 33, the link 36, the upright 31 and the control arm 38 and the other parts of the power means I constitutes simple means for swinging the projector round and round in a substantially elliptical course over the flask f and causing it during operation of the motor 6 to fill with sand all portions of the flask. By sliding the ball and socket joint 56 lengthwise of the link 36 and then looking it in place the size or character of the elliptical course of travel of the projector may be changed as desired. The control arm 38 together with the adjustable ball and socket connection between its upper end and the link 36 constitutes means for adjustably controlling the substantially elliptical course in which the projector is caused to travel during drive of the electric motor 39.

The herein described apparatus consists of but a small number of parts and may be manufactured at a low and reasonable cost. It is extreme- 1y efficient as far as its operation is concerned by reason of the fact that it includes power means for swinging the projector round and round in order to effect a complete and automatic filling of the flask f. Ihe present design of apparatus because it contemplates an automatic swinging of the projector is especially adapted for use in foundries wherein an endless conveyor is provided for continuously or intermittently feeding flasks beneath the projector.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an overhead support, a motor driven projector adapted to fill a subjacent flask with mould-forming material and suspended from the support by way of a universal joint, and power means for automatically swinging the projector round and round over the flask.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an overhead support, a motor driven projector adapted to fill a subjacent flas with mould-forming material and suspended from the support by way of a universal joint, and power means for automatically swinging the projector in a substantially elliptical course over the flask.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a supporting structure, a motor driven projector adapted to fill a subjacent flask with mould-forming material and having means associated therewith whereby it is su e ported by the structure for movement bodily over the flask, an upstanding member projecting above and held in fixed relation with respect to the projector and independent of said means, and power means applied to the upper end of the member projector operates and operating automatically through said member to move the projector over the flask.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an overhead support, a motor driven projector adapted to fill a subjacent flask with mould-forming material and suspended from the support so that it is movable universally to a limited extent, an upstanding member held in fixed relation with respect to the projector and projecting above the latter, and power means ap-. plied to the upper end of said member and operating through said member to swing the projector round and round over the flask.

5. In an apparatus of the character desscribed, the combination of an overhead support, a motor driven projector adapted to fill a subjacent flask with mould-forming material and suspended from the support by a universal joint, an upstanding member projecting above, and held in fixed relation with respect to, the projector and independent of the joint, and power means applied to the upper end of the member and operating automatically and through said member to swing the projector in a substantially elliptical course over the flask.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a stationary overhead support, a motor driven projector adapted to fill a subjacent flask with mould-forming material and suspended from the support by way of a universal joint, and power means including a motor and speed reducing gearing mounted on the support above the projector for automatically moving the projector over the flask in order to cause it to fill all portions of said flask.

'7. In an apparatus of the character described,

the combination of an overhead support, a projector of the casing and blade-equipped rotor type adapted to fill a subjacent flask with wads of mould-forming material, an electric motor attached to and substantially coaxial with the casing of the projector, and having the armature shaft thereof connected to drive the projector rotor, a universal joint for suspending the assembly of projector and motor from the support, a member flxedlyattached to and projecting upwardly from said assembly and independent of the joint,

and power means applied to the upper end of said member and operating through said member to swing the assembly round and round so that the to fill all portions of the flask.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an overhead support, a projector of the casing and blade-equipped rotor type adapted to fill a subjacent flask with wads of mould-forming material, an electric motor attached to and substantially coaxial with the casing of the projector and having the armature shaft thereof connected to drive the projector rotor, a universal joint between the support and the motor for suspending the assembly of projector and motor so that it is movable universally to a limited extent, a member fixedly attached to and projecting upwardly from the motor and independent of the joint, and power means applied to the upper end of said member and operating automatically and through said member to swing the assembly round and round so that the projector operates to fill all portions of the flask.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an overhead support, a projector of the casing and blade-equipped rotor type adapted to fill a subjacent flask with wads of mould-forming material, an electric motor atcaused to move in a substantially elliptical tached to and substantially coaxial with the casing of the projector and having the armature thereof connected to drive the projector rotor, a universal joint between the support and the motor for suspending the assembly of projector and motor so that it is movable universally to a limited extent, a member fixedly attached to and projecting upwardly from the motor and independent of the joint, and power means including a motor and speed reducing gearing mounted on the support and applied to the upper end of the member and operating automatically and through said member to swing the assembly in a substantially elliptical course over the flask so that it operates to fill all portions of the latter.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an overhead support, a motor driven projector adapted to fill a subjacent flask with mould-forming material and suspended from the support by a universal joint, an upstanding member projecting above and held in fixed relation with respect to the projector, and power means operative automatically to swing the projector round and round over the flask and comprising a motor driven wrist-pin and a link between the wrist-pin and the upper end of the member.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an overhead support, a motor driven projector adapted to fill a subjacent flask with mould-forming material and suspended from the support by a universal joint, an upstanding member projecting above and held in fixed relation with respect to the projector, and power means operative automatically to swing the projector in a substantially elliptical course over the flask and comprising a motor driven wrist-pin, a link between the wrist-pin and the upper end of the member for imparting movement from the pin to the member, and a control arm applied to the central portion of the link and operating to guide the movement of the link so that the upper end of the member is course.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an overhead support, a motor driven projector adapted to fill a subjacent flask with mould-forming material and suspended from the support by a universal joint, an upstanding member projecting above and held in fixed relation with respect to the projector, power means operative automatically to swing the projector in a substantially elliptical course over the flask and comprising a motor driven wrist-pin, a link be tween the wrist-pin and the upper end of the member for imparting movement from the pin to the member, and a control arm having one end thereof connected to a fixed pivot and its other end, connected by a flexible joint to the central portion of the link and operating to guide the movement of the link so that the upper end of the member is caused to move in a substantially elliptical course, and means forming an adjustable connection between the flexible joint and the link whereby the former may be slid longitudinally of the latter in order to vary or change the shape of the elliptical course of travel of the upper end of the member and the corresponding course of travel of the projector.

13. An apparatus of the character described, comprising in combination a supporting structure, a rotary projector adapted to form mouldforming material into wads and project the latter into a subjacent flask, a pivotal mounting between the projector and the supporting structure whereby the projector is supported so that it is free to tilt up and down and rock sidewise, and motor actuated means for automatically swinging the projector so as to cause it to deliver the wads into different portions of the flask.

14. An apparatus of the character described, comprising in combination a supporting structure, a rotary projector adapted to fill a subjacent flask with mould-forming material, a mounting between the projector and the structure whereby the projector is supported to swing to a limited extent in all directions about a substantially fixed articulation point, an upstanding member projecting above and held in fixed relation with respect to the projector, and motor actuated means applied to the upper end of the member and operating automatically through said member to swing the projector so as to cause it to deliver the wads into different portions of the flask.

15. An apparatus of the character described, comprising in combination a supporting structure, a projector of the casing and blade equipped rotor type adapted to form mould-forming material into wads and project the latter into a subjacent flask, an electric motor fixed to one side of the projector casing and having the armature shaft thereof connected to drive the rotor of the projector, a mounting between the motor and said structure for supporting the assembly of projector and motor so that it is free to swing universally to a limited extent, a member fixedly attached to and projecting upwardly from said assembly, and motor actuated means applied to the upper end of the member and operating automatically through said member to swing the assembly so as to cause the projector to deliver the wads into diiTerent portions of the flask.

16. An apparatus of the character described, comprising in combination a supporting structure, a projector of the casing and blade equipped rotor type adapted to form mould-forming material into wads and project the latter into a subjacent flask, an electric motor fixedly secured to one side of the projector casing and having the armature shaft thereof connected to drive the rotor of the projector, a mounting between the assembly of projector and motor and the supporting structure for supporting said assembly so that it is bodily movable over the flask, a member fixedly attached to and projecting upwardly from the motor, and motor actuated means applied to the upper end of the member and operating automatically through said member to move the assembly so as to cause the projector to deliver the wads into different portions of the flask.

WALTER F, PIPER. 

